You and Me: A Devastating Collision
by Whimsical Panda
Summary: Women would kill just to be in her shoes, but she would kill just to get out of it. The day her brother decided to sink that yacht was the same day she felt herself starting to plummet along with it; and he was the one pulling her down.
1. Chapter One

**Whimsical Panda's note**: Hello everyone! :) This is an edited and improved version of You and Me: A Devastating Collision. It's been years since I originally posted this, but due to unfortunate circumstances, I left the story hanging. But worry not, for I won't allow that to happen this time! I will not take credit of the fact that some of M. Milburne's books inspired me years ago to come up with this story, so kudos! Also, I would also like to inform you that this story will progress through a third party's point of view. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Gakuen Alice is not mine.. And it will never be. *sigh*

_Why do I put myself in these situations_

_I keep pushing myself even though I can't take it at all_

- Whoa Oh (Me Vs. Everyone) by Forever the Sickest Kids

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**Chapter One: Last Resort**

The young looking girl's eyes were as big as saucers by now. She clearly wasn't prepared for the most horrific explanation that has been shot to her a moment ago. Glaring in abject horror at the palest pair of sapphire eyes, it stared back as if nothing surprising just made its way. She waited for him to recoil to the endless amount of daggers her orbs has been sending for the past few minutes, but instead, she received a dull yawn. Finally breaking out, she wrinkled her forehead in an insane manner.

"What do you mean you _sank_ his yacht?"

A petulant scowl took up residence on Youichi Sakura's eighteen year old face. He rolled his misty colored eyes as if to signify the woman's idiocy or deafness. Lazily placing his chin upon his soft palm, his arm rested itself on top of his knees while his eyes surveyed his worried sister's face, a mental smirk formed its way. He thought that her face was priceless at the moment. Though under the pretenses, he rolled his eyes. This _was_ a serious situation after all. Well, for his sister, that is. A loud sigh escaped through his marveled lips. Straightening up, he replied in a tone with absolute boredom.

"He deserved that anyway. Big deal. Besides, he's been pretty unfair towards us, nee-chan."

The girl blinked.

"Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh _nooo_!" she hysterically shook her head while her pony-tailed hair followed her moves. She walked back and forth in a panicked manner until she couldn't help but cover her face with her hand.

This was clearly not how she wanted to spend her Saturday morning.

Last night when she got home from her work, all she had wanted to do was sleep her way throughout the weekend. Or maybe spend some time in the park, with her favorite no-crust grilled cheese sandwich and a thermos of oolong tea while sketching her afternoon away. Her eyes lit up a bit when the idea of asking her brother to join her laced her thoughts but was soon replaced with a clouded one for she knew that he wouldn't be home on a Saturday. Youichi hated staying indoors or spending his time doing boring tasks. He even told his sister once that he'd rather spend an entire night in a haunted house than sit in the middle of the park for more than an hour. Nevertheless, as long as she would be able to spend her afternoon in peace, that would be enough.

So imagine when she woke up at 7 AM in the morning because of the noise her brother was making while he made his way inside through her bedroom window. Whenever this happens, the possibility of her brother forgetting his keys is not the reason behind his actions. She was dense, yes, but she knew her own kin well enough to know that something terribly wrong just made its way inside their humble flat along with the young lad. And she was right.

She did her best to keep her sky-rocketing emotions at bay, but unfortunately, the phrase 'keep calm and collect your thoughts' was never something she had grown herself accustomed to.

"I thought it'd please you," he stated, finally causing his sister's halt. "After all, he's the reason why the name Sakura was ruined in the business industry. It blocked almost all of our access, and the name Mikan Sakura was almost banned upon working on this so-called _descent_ society."

"Oh Youichi, you still shouldn't have done that, you idiot!" Mikan wailed back.

"Oh sheesh, he's had his rest." he slumped his head on the couches' head rest and continued. "He's the midpoint why we're experiencing such a hard time at the moment, and you know that. I just wanted to please you by making him taste a bit of his own medicine." Youichi finished off, with the most scrumptious and casual tone ever.

"Please me? I honestly can't believe I'm actually hearing these things from you, Chii-kun! Have I taught you nothing? Nothing at all? Oh sheesh!" She buried her face once again within her hands. He finally walked over her and patted her head in a pet-like manner.

"Well, you're actually lucky because I'm telling you these things. And will you quit calling me that freaking name, you hag. I'm no longer a two-year old."

Though he's actually six years younger than his sister, it wasn't obvious. In fact, neither did it seem that they were siblings at all.

Mikan Sakura, who was really at the age of twenty-four, didn't look as if she was capable of working already. Owning an absolute pair of innocent (ignorant, as Youichi would prefer to call them) yet magnificent citrine orbs, her eyes majestically paired her auburn hair, yet it was childishly tied into a pony-tail. Her body is a definite petite package with porcelain fair skin similar to a model's own. She would've made the cut, but she lacked the height, not to mention the lady preferred to maintain a disheveled look.

Her brother, on the other hand, was her exact opposite. Youichi Sakura owned a messy bundle of cream strands paired perfectly with his misty pale eyes. He was a very handsome teenager, who towered everyone else due to his height, but rarely smiled. His skin was paler than his sister's, whilst hers was flawless, his own well-built body was usually filled with bruises and cuts. Due to his immense amount of pride, he often got himself into trouble, leaving his sister to carry on the burden he started. Despite their unchangeable differences, both loved each other dearly, seeing that they've only got one another as their family left.

"Don't worry, I've got my ways for him not to know it was me who did it. And I'm pretty sure he wouldn't mind losing a property or two, seeing he's got a lot more within his pockets." he reassured her lazily, still patting her head.

"How the hell can you be so calm about this?!" she questioned her brother in a desperate whisper. He gave out a distinct shrug before he spoke.

"I told you; _he won't suspect a thing_." finally feeling tired and annoyed with her, he slumped back towards the couch and gave out another yawn.

"Of course he will, you arrogant little prick!" she shouted back, pulling her hair in a weird manner. She kept on shoving her arms, as if to show that she's deeply concerned about this. "You've already got a track of records, and mind you, that…that man has his ways to know who his enemies are! Haven't you thought that he's capable of sending you to prison? Remember what he did to father, and to think that he's only five years older than I am!" she made a huge stomp on the floor. "How could you been so tactless, Youichi?"

"Hm, sounds as if you're starting to be a part of his frightened brigade. Besides, I'm not going there, so shut the lectures." He taunted, those this only made the matter go from bad to worse.

"I am _not_ afraid!" Mikan hissed, " You and I both know that his very existence suffocates me, but you really, really, really shouldn't have done that! And yes, of course you won't!" She pulled him up from his lazy position and started dragging him towards his room. He didn't argue, but couldn't help wonder whether she'd just give him another one of her "grounding" sessions. When they got inside his messy room, she let him go and went to pick something up from beneath his bed. Taking out his mountain backpack, she gave him a stern and commanding voice, which he dared not to taunt. "Pack your things. You're leaving. You'll have to go some place far from here, okay?"

For the first time since their conversation started, he finally showed her some knack of reaction; half surprised and half amused. Seeing her like this, he knew perfectly well that even if he'd give her a bag of cotton candy now, her decision wouldn't budge. _She's pig-headed that way, _he thought. Raking his hair, he pulled her into a tight hug, taking his sister by surprise.

"H-hey. I said pack your things and not hug me, you idiot." Mikan's voice slightly quivered, as the silence between them enveloped the room. Feeling slightly uneasy, she glanced up to him with a worried stare before a warm smile hovered its way to her lips. She pulled back from her brother's embrace and spoke within her giggles. "You're acting pretty weird, Chii-kun."

She couldn't help it. A sparkling tear fell from her eyes, but Youichi's thumb caught it in time. He half smiled at her in a light taunting manner.

"Stop crying, you're effortlessly ugly already." He made a tongue's out face which made his sister laugh. He received a playful slap on his shoulder, as he added. "I have no idea where I'm going but.. don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, got that?"

"I will. People like him… people like Natsume Hyuuga won't scare me. Now you, you take care of yourself and stop making such a fuss about things. I'll contact Nonoko's rest house in Kyuushu, so you'd better stay put."

"Yeah, fine. But remember one thing; I'm not leaving because I'm scared of him, but because I'm just obeying your almost useless command." Snatching his backpack from his sister's grip, he turned away. "That jackass won't find me."

"I will." She made her way towards his room's door but became hesitant. She stopped and made a small smile on her face, though it looked as if she was daring him in some ways. " I don't want to hear you sinking more _boats_ either, and if I hear one more case that sounds that way, I'd be the one who'd personally hand you over to the cops."

**O-o-O-o-O-o-O**

"Hello?" a sweet voice answered from the line.

Her background sounded as if something was steaming from behind, and it made the Mikan smile. The typical Nonoko Ogasawara who's up to inventing various chemicals. She was a professional chemical engineer, but she chose to stay at Kyuushu a few years back to experiment what sort of chemicals or concoctions she could make out of Mother Nature's fresh galore. She missed her dearly, seeing that she's one of her best friends since Kindergarten. Shaking her thoughts off, she replied.

"Hello there Nonoko-chan!" she greeted cheerfully. You can't blame her; it's been years since they've last spoken to each other. They've been so pre-occupied about their lives that they rarely had the chance to see one another, let alone talk. There was a stifled noise, and what came next was an ear-breaking squeal.

"Mikan! Is that really you? I've been dying to hear your voice for ages!" there was a few clunking noise, and Mikan figured that she must've shoved some things out of her way. She heard the line bouncing, and she felt relieved that she felt overjoyed too, the same feelings as hers. "So, how have you been lately? Oh gosh, I'm terribly sorry if I couldn't visit you, you know, everything has been so busy and all… so, tell me. _How are you_?" she blabbed enthusiastically.

"I'm perfectly fine, Nonoko." Mikan reassured her between her giggles. "How about you? Have you heard from the others lately?"

"Yeah, I have. Anna's in a good state at New York, turns out she finally lived her dream of becoming a chef just like her father. Kitsy's staying here at Kyuushu for some time now. And guess what? Kitsumene and I are finally back together! Can you just believe it? I've got so much to tell you Mikan! And I'm sure you've got tons of them too! So spill, spill, _spill!_"

"You still haven't change." Mikan replied in an earnest tone. Her smile grew wider every second. "I'm glad that you found each other again, trust me, you'd still make a great pair." Somehow, she can' help but envy Nonoko. It's not every day that you'd find a serious guy like Kitsumene after all. They broke up back when they were still in high school, but after all these years, he still came back for her. He really is, in Mikan's opinion, one of a kind.

"How about you? Have you seen your _particular someone_ lately?" she asked her in such a mischievous tone. This question made a great impact upon the auburn haired young girl. Her cheeks immediately flushed and she looked uneasily, checking whether her brother might've heard something.

"N-no. I… I haven't seen him in quite a while now. So…" she tensed uneasily, recalling something. She heard something fall from her brother's room and heard a faint 'ow'.

"Ooohh… I smell something fishy." Nonoko mused. She was giggling nonstop because Mikan was still so predictable, as if she was an open picture book lying on a deserted table. She knew that this wasn't the right time to talk about such things, so she casually changed the subject as she sat down on the nearest bench. "So, how're things going for you and your brother?"

"That's the exact reason why I called." Mikan began. She didn't hear Nonoko ask further questions and knew that she was listening attentively. "Youichi got himself into uhm.. some serious trouble. It's not the usual trouble a teenager would have gotten themselves into and well.. the details are kind of, you see, d-devastating. Well, I was thinking whether to, you know, send him there for a while until the situation cools down. W-will that be alright? I, I mean I know I'm asking too much and everything's just so sudden so I'm totally fine with it if you'd de-"

"Oh, of course it is! I'd love to have him here! He can also help out on picking fruits from the near fruit orchard owned by Kitsy's family! God only knows how much help is needed there, seeing their fruits have been popping out nonstop." She inquired enthusiastically. This relieved Mikan greatly, and let out an audible sigh. "So tell me, when is your butterball of a brother coming?"

Without further ado, Mikan replied. "Thank you, Nonoko-chan. I'm sorry if it's all been so sudden but, I'd prefer him to leave right now."

**O-o-O-o-O-o-O**

It wasn't long since Mikan drifted into a cat-nap that afternoon. After all, it's been a bizarre morning for the Sakura siblings, and one could not deny she deserved the rest. Despite having a terrific weather, she didn't proceed with her previous plans the night before. Everything was quiet, except for their cat who kept on meowing beside her bed, when the doorbell rang. She looked lazily at her bedside clock only to discover that she had just been asleep for about an hour and a half. She knew that by this time, Youichi's on board to the next boat traveling towards Kyuushu. The thought made her feel a little relieved because at least he will be out of harm's way. Yet a small frown seeped its way on her face.

Even though he was sent away because of her command, she couldn't help but regret it at some point. Despite his delinquent ways, he's still her beloved brother after all. And ever since their father's death a few years ago, the two have been inseparable. She didn't know why but something told her that they will have to deal with the loneliness of being apart for a longer period of time than expected. Lost in her thoughts, the doorbell's sound knocked her back to her consciousness. She would have to preferred to ignore whoever was impatiently ringing outside the door but it appeared as if the pursuer wouldn't stop anytime soon.

"Who the hell would want to see me today?" she asked herself, finally getting up from the comforts of her bed. She tied a pair of violet silk ribbons to a perfect knot upon her pony-tailed hair. She dashed her way out, as she heard another ring.

"This person's getting into my nerves." Mikan mumbled.

With the door finally in front of her, she hesitated to take another step forward. Her instincts urged her to back away and leave the doorknob untouched, but a part of her was yelling that she should open the door. Something didn't feel right. It might just be a delivery man, a neighbor, or another person who'll give her a few more bills to pay. She thought about those things for a second or two, but finally clearing her mind, she made swift strides forward. Her irises came to a halt, and she shut them carefully. Whoever this person is, he or she, has a great knack of emitting an aura that's making her awfully nervous. She unlocked the door, and carefully opened her eyes to see whose presence she would need to attend to. She smiled as she swung the wooden frame open.

Her smile faltered.

To her gravest dismay, she figured that the one who stood perfectly framed upon her doorstep was the last person she'd want to become hospitable with.

"Good afternoon." He started politely, though she thought she heard a bit of irritation within his tone. "I believe you're Ms. Sakura? Natsume Hyuuga." He offered his hand which was in mid-air for the mere ten seconds, and finally seeing that she wasn't up in shaking hands with him, he casually placed it back in his black slack's pocket. "Hn. I wish to talk to your brother, Youichi Sakura. Is he around?"

She couldn't help but take a step backward, for his sudden appearance was indeed _extremely _unexpected, which left her utterly unprepared.

"_Oh no!_" the girl screamed mentally.

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**Whimsical Panda's note**: So, what do you guys think? *wink* I'll make it a point to update at least every two weeks, or hopefully less. Ja!


	2. Chapter Two

**Whimsical Panda's note: **How have you all been? :) I know I wasn't able to update to update sooner than I had promised, but at least I managed to do so before this week ended. I would have posted this chapter sooner, like a week after posting the first one, if it wasn't for my operation. Yes, I recently had one and it made it exceptionally hard for me to work my way around things, especially since it involved my right arm in general. So I just wanted to apologize, and at the same time, thank you for the lovely reviews. :)

Enjoy! :D

**Disclaimer: **Gakuen Alice does not belong to me.

_No matter how hard I try_

_I can't escape that gaze tonight._

- Lightning by Alex Goot

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**Chapter Two: Tempest**

"_Oh no!"_ Mikan inwardly screamed. She expected someone to come for them, no, for her brother, but never in Merlin's beard did the young lass expect that the man whom her brother had crossed paths with would come and appear right in front of their doorstep. Unannounced, in fact. Though she forced her lips to curve into what appeared to be a convincing smile, her heart and mind were experiencing a great storm of emotions.

"Sorry, but h-he's not here." she replied, hating the tone of her voice. She badly wanted to avoid sounding distressed, especially when she's facing the enemy. But all her efforts couldn't keep themselves together, causing her to give a slight hint to the man in front of her the nervousness that she feels.

All because she stuttered.

Shrugging it aside, she wanted this contact to end faster than a strike of lightning so without waiting for his reply, she pushed the wooden door forward attempting to shut it in front of his face. But her attempt was feeble. It was soon stopped with a force received from the owner of the disheveled raven haired male. Due to the force, she lost her footing which caused her to stumble backward. Oh, if only people knew how much she hated to be born as one of the clumsiest girls in the world!

Though she was waiting for the ail that she will receive either from her back or from beneath her buttocks, it never came. Instead, our clumsy heroine felt a warm, masculine arm catch her poised back. Her eyes snapped open and met a pair of deep and penetrating ruby orbs. Looking at them this close, she held her breath, scrutinizing the beauty of his eyes and forgetting that he was her life's antagonist. She dared not to blink her garnet pair, she saw his eye's sudden movement. It made a tilt of amusement, and to her dismay, his lips curved into a smirk.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your, ah, how should I say this? Your _fantasies_, Miss Sakura." the girl's eyes twitched due to the emphasis. Now glaring at him furiously, his continued to linger with the same stare of amusement. "Now, I will repeat myself. Where is your brother?"

"Then I shall have to repeat myself too. I told you, I don't know." Mikan replied flatly.

The young lady did not even bother covering the rudeness in her tone, neither did she try to conceal how infuriated she is for his demanding inquiries. The fact that he is one of the most prestigious and most powerful people in Japan did not seem to faze her; all that matters to the devoted sister that she is is that she had to protect her brother's whereabouts, and if it's possible, control the anger which is slowly gripping her veins. A brow slowly elevated itself from the man's handsome features.

"Do I really have to kiss the answer out of you?" he questioned her, with an added seductive tone. Mikan's eyes widened in shock and felt her face to flush into a dark shade of pink. Pushing him in a rather aggressive force, she smoothened her brown, knee-length skirt in an exaggerated manner.

"Who…who in the world do you think you are, coming here so unexpectedly and start acting like a total despicable, treacherous, and disgusting maniac?! First of all, you just came, or rather, _crashed_ your way into my house and started asking narrow questions about my brother! And if your brain's just too small to understand my statement earlier, I told you. He's. Not. Here!" she screamed at him. As the brunette clenched her petite fists, she sent him tons of glares full of loathing. Her face was still fumed up from his line a while ago. As if he just received his expected reactions, he rolled his eyes as he placed his hand within his slacks' pockets. He walked a few steps towards her, then stopped, his gaze lingering the woman in front of him then towards the flat's window, seemingly deep in thought.

Mikan stared, or rather, glared at him even more, but now that she looked at him, she noticed a few details on which she had missed earlier. He stood there, wearing his casual black slacks and just had a half opened black Epaulette peacoat over a white v-neck. And from the looks of it, the way he wore his clothes looked pretty comfortable and casual which was kind of a far cry from his usual business suits that the lass had seen him wearing on most of his articles and billboards. After all, October's fast approaching, so the breezy wind and the cold weather are at its peak. Also, there was his face. Aside from his chiseled jaw and fine eyebrows, something about his face, his eyes specifically, attracted the maiden the most. But of course, not even in a million years would she admit this to anyone. Not daring to blink, Natsume noticed the hazel orbs that had been peering a few looks at him. He gave her a glimpse, as she hurriedly turned away, an ounce of irritation found in her eyes.

"Well, that's a shame then." He mumbled, but loud enough for Mikan to catch the phrase he let out. He advanced himself towards her, as she stepped back on her defense. "Hn. I think you know what I came here for, am I correct?"

"No, I don't." she lied.

"Lying is not an appropriate way to start things, Ms. Sakura."

"I'm not lying. I don't know why you even bothered coming here, Mr. Hyuuga, but I assure you, your questions are going nowhere since an answer is not found behind it. It's as if you're looking for corners to hide on a circular room." she bit back. Though the defiance was obvious, in truth Mikan felt scared as she said those words, since he was just eight to nine inches away, too close in her opinion.

"Its corners aren't what I am looking for, but rather the dot before you even drew one. You know what this means, do you? Your brother's the dot, and I intend to finish this reckless issue as soon as I can. Now, it is rather touching for you to protect your brother, but don't you think that it's just a waste of time doing so?" his voice was flat and serious. Their crystal orbs clashed onto each other; crimson versus a dark shade of honey, as a fiery yellow light erupt between them. Taking another step forward while she did the opposite, he raised an eyebrow to the almost-cornered Mikan. "If he's not here, then where is he?"

"I don't know, and if I did, I wouldn't bother opening my mouth just to tell you." she gave out a straight response.

"You wouldn't want something like this to be released to the press, do you?"

"I'm sure you've got more interesting things that are in need to be published, Mr. Hyuuga."

"So you find my lifestyle interesting then?"

"I'm too busy to even give a damn."

"But not too busy to scrutinize how interesting my features are earlier, I see?" he smirked, and the girl on the opposite opened her mouth to snap back but closed it again, too angry to even reply.

"Ugly prick." Mikan mumbled.

Natsume sighed, and cocked his head, his eyes back to its usual stone hard look. "Fine then, if he's not here then you'll have to pay for his debts."

"My brother owes you nothing. So leave this instant!" Mikan screamed, taking another step back.

"I do find women who screams interesting." Natsume retorted with a smirk, making Mikan to splutter a disgusted tone. And finally, he took the last step, making her lean back onto their naïf green wall, cornering her. "And should I leave before or after I call the police about your brother's whereabouts last night?"

This made Mikan flinch. Not only was this conversation beginning to corner her helpless, but it is also causing her to feel extra uneasy because of their position. She bit the lower part of her soft lips and looked away from his gaze. Her mind was racing, thinking hard on how she'll be able to defend herself, when finally an idea struck her mind. If she could only play with his game for a while, she'll be able to ward him off Youichi's direction. Playing dumb any further will only complicate things, and this plan was sure to work. Keeping her brother safe was her top priority no matter what. But the problem now was, how can she start turning this game towards a different direction?

"T-there's no need really." she told him in a false sweet tone. _God, help me with this moron!_ "And my brother went off somewhere to… to do some business, which is of course, is none of your concern."

"Since he 'went off somewhere', as you say, then I may as well talk the matters over. Since you are that desperate, then I think a person like you can handle these sort of things." He gave another smirk.

He finally walked away from her, leaving her to breathe freely in peace. Smelling his spicy scent made her inhale in a hitched manner. Her tiny fingers clasped the free hem of her skirt, kept quiet and started to turn her gaze towards him again with the same hatred embed within her eyes. He walked towards their vintage couch and rested his palm there. At last, he turned his ruby crystals to her direction as he started to speak. "I don't care whether you've heard or not, but apparently, your brother tried to sabotage me last night using my yacht and sinking it. Not a bad trick, I might say, but it wasn't effective. The target wasn't in it, after all."

"Oh. That's a sha –I mean, really now? Anyone can do that, especially to a person like you who holds a lot of predicaments in your industry. I am sure that my brother is not the only one that'd want to, forgive me, _kill_ you." she paused, waiting for his reaction to the words she just let out. But they never came, making her feel annoyed. This feeling engulfed her, and before she knew it, she couldn't help but open her blabbing mouth. "And what kind of evidence do you hold? A talking fish that is supposed to be the poor, old witness?"

This was the wrong move. And she knew it. Before she could even take back the sarcasm that she just blurted out, he had clenched his fist.

"I'm not an idiot to take a fish as a witness, but coming from you, I think you are." Mikan let out a scandalous gasp. Widening her eyes, she advanced towards the slender man in front of her, the_enemy_. As soon as she opened her mouth, he pocketed out a small necklace. The necklace had a silver chain, and a small, black pendant shaped as a guitar dangled from it, and to the girl's horror, she saw something that struck her hard: _Her brother's initials._

_That's my gift for his last birthday!_ She mentally screamed.

"YKS. Youchi Kenneth Sakura. A name suitable for him. It just makes me wonder… what is your full name, _Ms. Sakura_?" He asked her, gaining his victorious, seductive moves again. She couldn't argue, and he knew it.

"It's none of your business." She set out. He eyed her pointedly, and she couldn't help but notice that they had been playing an endless game of glares. Surprisingly though she felt a slight jolt of curiosity whenever she did this because it gives her a chance to stare at his rubies without being suspected. Too bad though, every time she stares at them, she only sees a grand demon in front of her who's staring back. Still, silence overwhelmed the living room, and his gaze hadn't left hers, waiting for an answer. She shifted her gaze and suddenly pretended that she was interested on the window's view, she mumbled her answer that was full of regret. "Mikan Coreen."

"Befitting, but not entirely." He teased. It made her fume up with further anger, but she kept her emotions at bay. "It doesn't matter anyway. But now, I'll discuss the problem that your brother ignited. So, you'll have to pay the price, since he's not available."

Silence.

"Are you listening?"

She continued to ignore him, and the same eerie stillness continued to wrap itself around the room.

"Tch. Play deaf as much as you want then. I'll make it quick, to lessen your suffering." He let out a triumphant smirk, which Mikan failed to see. "Approximating the expenses, he owes me a rightful amount of 1.5 Million dollars –" She faced him abruptly.

"W-what?! Wait a seco –"

"–plus the damage he sadly caused the neighboring yacht that makes up another five hundred and sixty thousand dollars –"

"Woah, no, l-listen here you –"

"–making it to an approximate amount of 2 million Dollars." He computed mercilessly. This left Mikan to make her mouth hang open, she blinked furiously.

For a second, her mind raced for different ideas and plans on how to delude his purpose. She held a few brilliant ones and continued to analyze the steps she'll do in order to succeed, not thinking about the rest or its possible consequences. But now, her brain and way of thinking can be compared to a television that suddenly went off, leaving a blank screen. The channels disappeared, and so did her brilliant plans. The brunette knew that it was just a _boat_, but how could boats have cost that much? She couldn't see him at the moment, along with her thinking, her vision went blank; but she never fainted. She wanted to, but to her dismay, it never came. All she could see was a bunch of flashing calculators, coins and bills falling off everywhere, and tons of iron chains that flew from every direction. She knew what it meant, but refused to believe it.

She was trapped. Yes, Mikan Coreen Sakura was trapped within the enemy's lair. Her eyes were still wide from the most lenient way laying out the consequences of Youichi's actions, how much _she_ owed him now. Trying hard to snap back to her mind's consciousness, she inhaled deeply and gave out a defeated sigh. No matter how amazingly devastating the news was to her ears, she positioned herself in a determined manner. She couldn't let him see that she's weak. Natsume's gaze remained stoic, but he sent a challenging smile which never reached his eyes towards Mikan. The lass thought of a few chosen words then voiced them out loud with as much pride as she could muster.

"Thank you so much for lighting things up, Mr. Hyuuga. I'm very, very, _very_ pleased that you explained them with utmost consideration." she snapped, sarcasm audible. She tilted her head a bit and gave him a smile that was kind of identical to his. "But I'm telling you. I can pay that. And don't worry, I won't act like a coward and run away. So no need for you to hunt me down just like what you're doing with my brother."

"Really now? Honestly, do you have that much money at the moment? I've heard that you're facing a lot of debts, including this apartment, huh? Then how can you possibly pay back such a huge debt when I doubt you've even had three decent meals a day?" he retorted, but it was now Mikan's chance to lift an eyebrow.

"Stop rubbing it on my face. I said, I'll pay."

He stepped forward and leaned towards the brunette, making her body feel stiff. Edging her face away from his, he playfully reached out for the person's most sensitive spot: her ear.

"Want me to help you out?" he breathed these words out from his lips as she shivered.

"N-no thanks." Was all she could muster to give as a reply.

"No. I insist. But it's not just an ordinary help that I am offering, but something more, _exciting_."

* * *

Dark gray clouds were starting to block the sun away from view.

This was the first thing Youichi noticed when he carried his backpack out of the boat's little cabin. When he left Tokyo, the weather had been completely different. The huge ball of light was at its peak, though they didn't really feel its heat due to the brisk cold wind only autumn could present. Nevertheless, it had been sunny. Unlike his sister, he was never the superstitious kind. There were times when the weather suddenly changed in a span of minutes, Mikan would normally sigh and announce that those clouds were news carriers that something bad was about to happen. The young man often rolled his eyes at her statement and ended up coming up with the same reply over and over, that the only bad omen it could possibly bring was a healthy amount of raindrops and, of course, that she was just being paranoid. But something was different today. He couldn't quite point out what was wrong, but there was a persistent nagging feeling all throughout his journey that didn't feel quite right. A trace of his sister's worried eyes flashed in his mind and the uneasiness grew though his face never gave away the fact that he was feeling restless. Youichi, lost in his thoughts, bounced back to the present as a running young boy roughly pushed him aside. He glared at the young boy who didn't even bother to look back, let alone apologize.

The young lad shrugged this off as he finally focused about the fact that the weather isn't his biggest concern at the moment. A few minutes later, he emerged and stepped down the port when he heard a familiar chirpy voice squeal.

"Youichi-kuuuun! Over here you stoic little boy, here here!"

His piercing gaze finally found the sapphire ones. Nonoko Ogasawara was still the same girl he remembered; her nebulous navy blue hair had grown longer which now tumbled all the way down to her waist, though the full bangs she had a few years back was gone. She wore a simple wrapper white tiered belted dress with a red wool cardigan and a pair of brown cowgirl boots. After all these years, she hasn't lost her interest in dolling everything up with a pair of boots. He nearly smiled, which is odd since he rarely did. But he saw the man behind her, arms crossed, looking a bit too smug for his own good. The smile that nearly lit up his features vanished, leaving the cold look he had been genetically programmed with.

"Keep it down, hag." Youichi said which was clearly his own version of saying hello.

"Watch your mouth kid." Kitsuneme scolded him. Youichi shot him a glare in return.

"Mou. Now now, you two!" Nonoko chided. "I'm pretty sure Youichi's pretty tired from his journey, being it sudden and all. But we've got a lot of catching up to do after all! And since this isn't the most appropriate place to hold a conversation, would you kindly drive us to the nearest restaurant, Kitsy?"

"I'm not hungry." the teenager piped up.

"See? He's not hungry." Kitsuneme told her shrugging. "Come on, let's go home."

"But come on! I'm the lady here. And Mikan would have wanted her friends to give a warm welcome to her little brother. Ne, Youichi-kun?" she looked up and clapped her hands together, eyes vibrant and hopeful. The very eyes he knew so well that wouldn't take no for an answer.

_"No wonder she became friends with my sister."_ Youichi thought. "Whatever."

The young woman squealed in delight and started to drag Youichi by the arm towards the black Volvo not too far from the pier. Kitsuneme opened the front door for his girlfriend and helped her get in, ignoring Youichi who placed his luggage in the car's bunk. When he was about to get in, the two were talking but what the woman's sweet lips said made him wince.

"-know? We'll have fun, the three of us living under the same roof!" she looked back and saw him standing just outside the door, the shimmers in her eyes were back. "Right? Get in! This'll be just like in high school, only this time your sister isn't here. Which is kind of sad and.."

The boy got in, no longer listening to what Nonoko was saying.

He thought they broke up a few years ago. But like a bucket of ice cold water thrown at his face, he took a glance at the car's moving view and scowled. They lived together, and now he's joining the tirade and will have to play along.

Because things wouldn't be as easy as he thought it would be. Aside from the thoughts about his sister, he had another thing to worry about. It was living with these two, a couple. A man who grated his nerves.

And a woman who just happens to be his first love.

* * *

Mikan sighed.

And sighed.

And sighed some more.

After the last view of Natsume's shadow left her flat this afternoon, no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't fall back to sleep. Though she felt relieved after Nonoko's call a few minutes earlier telling her that Youichi safely arrived, she knew that it wasn't entirely true. He wasn't safe, not yet. Not when the demon was still hot on her brother's trail. She didn't mention his visit or any of the events this afternoon to her friend though; she didn't want them to worry about her. It has always been one of her principles to never let anyone worry about her as much as possible, which she noted, was quite hard to do since she was an exceptionably one ditzy lass during her younger years.

_"Not that I'm old or anything,"_ she thought.

She finally got up from her bed, knowing that sleep would not probably come to her any time soon. She found her most recent sketchpad and carried it with her to her abode's little kitchen and sat on the counter. Her citrine orbs scanned a few of her artworks, all of which she drew in a whim but turned out beautifully. Each color she used complimented the other, and every stroke and shade was gracefully immortalized within the white pages of her sketchpad. In the middle of skimming through its pages, she came to a halt. A week ago, she came up with a drawing of a memory that she had always carried with her. It showed her family seated on a red and white checkered blanket under a huge cherry blossom tree, minding their business happily. The Sakuras were celebrating their youngest family member's fifth birthday that day, spring crisp in the air. They decided that they would have a picnic in the nearby park since the cherry blossoms were now at its full bloom on the second week of April. They had a wonderful time. Their mother baked her prized apple pie and topped it off with a single red candle, the pastry being the young boy's birthday cake. Everything seemed peaceful and right during that moment, and seeing the picture she drew of her family made her heart ache like never before.

That was what they had at that time. But like a balloon at its highest flight, its prominence depleted and slowly floated down. And so did their happiness.

Young as she was back then, it was an understatement that Mikan wouldn't have been able to do anything. But gone were the days where in she desperately clung onto her father or mother's protection, only watching from the side and crying her eyes out when things took an inevitable turn. Now that she was a grown woman, she had the power to prevent the only family she has to cascade to the clutches of her life's antagonist. She would do anything in order to protect her brother. This was the least she could do, in order to safeguard the promise she'd made on her parent's graves.

"Give me strength," she whispered while clutching the portrait close to her heart, "to protect him. I won't succumb to that man's wishes. I have decided."

* * *

"And so have I." a malicious glint found its way into the crimson orbs as he ended the phone call. He leaned back to his leather chair and spun it around to face Tokyo's night view. Endless lights shimmered from every corner, some blinking blazingly, some steady. The lights served as artificial stars which settled themselves on the opposite side of the sky, the sky which remained its aphotic state that lacked its natural light. Despite the wee hours of the night, everything from below looked amazingly alive. What caught his eyes were the large signs with orange lights that flickered.

He smirked.

Orange reminded him of the gems that defiantly sent him glares of utmost loathing. But Natsume Hyuuga sensed fear beneath them. Sensing fear has always been one of his forte when it comes to scrutinizing people. Fear, in his opinion, is a sign of weakness. And in the world he was living in, a predator should strike as lithe and as fast as it could once the emotion revealed itself in its prey. The bachelor wouldn't deny the fact that her bravado to contradict him left an interesting impression on him though.

"What will you do, I wonder…" he spoke to no one in particular

A couple of miles away, unknown to the owner of the citrine orbs, Natsume Hyuuga moved another chess piece that would threaten her side of the board.

* * *

**A/N:** There you have it! :) I need to explain two things though: **1.** there's a reason why English names are attached to both Mikan and Youichi's names. The reason will be revealed on the later chapters. **2. **A plane or a few days worth of boat-trip is required to reach Kyushu from Tokyo, but I chose to write the trip in a seaside fashion because, well, it looked fun and rather ironic that after Youichi sank a yacht, he would ride something similar towards his safety. :D And as for the rest… Well, I guess you'll just have to watch out for the next chapter! Ja! :D


	3. Chapter Three

**Whimsical Panda's notes: **First of all.. I know. I'M SORRY. I probably deserve all those rotten tomatoes and eggs being mentally thrown towards my direction because it took me ages to update this. It's just that summer's already here plans to hang out and go on a few out of town trips kept popping up and being the normal teenager that I am, I loved going out. I'm barely home and my dog barely even recognizes me anymore. :( So to make it up to you guys, I made this chapter extra long! Thanks for waiting, and please do enjoy! :D

**Disclaimer: **As much as I want to, I don't have the bragging rights that I own Gakuen Alice.

_You don't take me serious_  
_Boy, you make me furious_  
_Guaranteed, we'll disagree_

_- _Both Sides of the Story by We Are The In Crowd

* * *

**Chapter Three: The Deal**

Mikan was surprised that two weeks had quickly gone by after her unfaithful encounter with the most detestable man in her life. Remembering his every move and every word he uttered under the roof where she lived in only made her close her eyes in reeking anger. Yet, as each day passed, she felt her lungs tightening and were slowly gripping her wielding heart. Our heroine couldn't help but frown to the obvious fact that she was indeed in debt with Natsume Hyuuga, the astounding billionaire. She slouched back and laid her arms on top of the table as her head rest. Bobbing her head slightly, she gave out a loud sigh as the memories a week ago started to flux back into her head.

She never really replied a clear yes or no regarding his deal, as she told him that she'd think about it. Though a huge part of her living soul wanted to slap that rueful and crystal clear no as a reply on his face, but she ended given him an uncertain one. That was indeed one heck of a definite answer for a discussion as serious and as complicated as the one they had. Even so, he left and just gave her a luxurious looking calling card, which she threw in their waste bin as soon as the ordeal was over. Yet, after a few hours of thinking, she took out the card with the fullest regret plastered upon her weary face. That last few lines of their discussion started ringing within her head.

"_You don't exactly have a choice, since my offer is obviously your only ticket way out. So I suggest that you agree on this and show yourself in my office in less than two weeks time or else." Natsume informed her, accompanied with his never breaking stare. "But I don't think it won't be necessary, for most women would start clamoring and ogling for this sort of opportunity." _

_The girl who was in front of her couldn't resist not to raise an eyebrow at his last statement and let out a bitter laugh._

"_Well, I am most sorry, Mr_. Hyuuga_," she stressed his name the most, but not because she preferred to use it, but because she chose to make him feel how much she despised him down to every syllable and letter his name contained, "but as I have told you before, maybe your help won't be necessary. Most likely, rather."_

"_Hn." Was all he could retort back to Mikan, which made her curve a small smile on her petite and soft lips. Although her victorious thoughts proved her wrong; he made another smirk and pocketed out a small, beige colored paper. He threw it to the near-by table. "I heard a 'maybe' in there. The hard to get game most women play don't actually work on me, you see."_

_That's it. Strike two. She saw him head straight towards their door and her pride as a woman took over. Mikan swiftly made her way in front of the man's looming form before his hands even touched the cold surface of the doorknob. _

"_For your information, I am not a part of your useless, good for nothing, and flirtatious "_most women_" brigade." _

_Even though he didn't verbalize a retort to this comment, it made the woman irritated because it felt like he was the one who had the final word when he merely smirked back._

She sat up straight and started slapping her cheeks furiously.

"No, no, no!" She screamed, adding her slapping motions with a few stomps under the table.

As if her actions weren't enough, the brunette started hitting her head on the table. Pain finally started to make itself known on her forehead so she stopped because she didn't want a bruise to appear. Mikan let out another sigh. Slightly bobbing her head once more, she saw the papers that lay scattered on their remit. The pair of her eyebrows furrowed at the sight of them. She was about to grab the white and light blue paper when the doorbell rang unexpectedly. Drowsily, she opened the door after a few seconds later.

"Good morning, ma'am," greeted the man wearing an orange polo and jeans paired with a cap that had a familiar thunder and an odd bulb that had a house embodied within. A sweatdrop fell from the pony-tailed locks of the brunette. "Well, I came to remind you that your electricity bills have been left unpaid for the past two months, and that the due date is about to come to an end. We wish to help you, yet, we couldn't surely do that without your payment." He informed her, handing a white and yellow envelope that had her name printed on it. She forced a smile.

"R-right. I'll pay right away, thank you for reminding me," signing the paper and finally closing the door shut made her feel a bit at ease. Mikan went to her location a while ago and dumped the newly delivered bill on top of the previous ones.

The bills were the least of her worries. Her eyes were filled with hopelessness and were brimming with a demising feeling of a sister being worried about her brother's condition. She neither heard from Nonoko nor Youichi after the last phone call two weeks ago and the lass didn't know how to get in touch with either the two of them because her landline had been cut two days after due to her unpaid bill. So being the optimistic girl that she was, every time the doorbell rang, she had hoped that it would be an envelope containing a letter of reassurance from her brother.

Finally snapping back to her reality, she tensed as she saw a dozen of bills that were piled on their dining table. Mikan received several letters alright. She knew she hadn't paid the required amount yet, but how did things go down to this? If she hadn't been taught on how not to easily accuse other people, she would've landed on the conclusion that Natsume Hyuuga was responsible for her bill's sudden rush. She shook her head and tried not to gape on these shameful possibilities. She sat down and tried to rack her brains once more on how to avoid his devious schemes— to no avail. Gathering the pile and tucking all of it within her burgundy backpack, she grabbed her chiffon coat and headed to the door.

The wind met her, and the same happened to her hair. Tucking it slightly behind her ear, she headed off towards the chilly street to her work.

* * *

The chilly wind brushed through her bare fingers and she felt it numb. Lifting her delicate hand, she rubbed it to each other countless of times to create heat's friction to keep it somewhat warmer. A few puffs from her warm lips finished the trick, and she saw that a lot of people were doing the same. The woman crossed the busy streets and ignored the frequent shouts and honks and finally reached the other side. Just as she took a few steps on the bricked pathway, she suddenly suppressed a sneeze. Mikan came to a halt and searched from the depths of her coat's pockets for her handkerchief. Finally getting a hold of the soft white linen, she gently wiped her nose's tip and smelled the faint scent of her Prima Rosa perfume. The brunette smiled; this sort of scent had always been her mother's favorite, as her father always told her. Smiling curtly, she skidded off towards her destination.

She passed through several boutiques, flower shops and a few parlors. But what caught her attention were the stores selling different kinds of food; and each shop dealer knew her. They greeted her with the warmest and friendliest smiles, and even those who only owned a small stall for street food and a few candies did too. An old vendor gave her a free stick of apples and mangoes dipped in honey and some rice crispies as she passed by. Giving him a warm smile and sincere thanks, she took off and munched it all off the stick and proceeded to her designated path.

After a few minutes of walking, she finally spotted the antique shop where she worked. _Yuka Prometteurs_, which meant "Yuka's Rainbows", the shop that they used to own. Originally, it was a shop filled with various books and a few toys, but due to the sudden misfortunes that hit them, it was renovated into an antique shop. The new owner, Mr. Nodacchi, was kind enough to let her work there and keep the shop's original name. He and her mother were childhood friends anyway. She plastered a smile on her face as she opened the shop's varnished old door and the small bell jingled, signifying a person's arrival. Expecting to see her employer, she was startled when she did not see his usual ogling smile accompanied with his cream brown hair. But there was none. Startled, she placed her coat behind the counter and called for his name.

"Uncle Nodacchi?" She called out.

"I'm over here, Mikan-san!" he answered. Mikan turned around and saw him seated in a rather funny position at the shop's corner. He tried to wave his hand but did not succeed. Mikan bobbed her head and stifled a small giggle.

Mr. Nodacchi was caught up in a bunch of wires. Well, not that this wasn't common or anything, but this sort of sight often makes Mikan laugh. He was a man who couldn't afford associating himself with technology, and only recently did her learn oh how to use the toaster. He's stuck up in an old era, just like the antiques he sells. Sensing that he badly needed some assistance, Mikan drew herself near and tugged the cords off his body. He waited patiently, until the brunette finally took all of the wirings off. He scratched the back of his head and looked up to Mikan and gave her another smile. She offered him her hand.

"The day's not complete without such incidents, am I right, Mikan-san?" he asked and gladly took her outstretched hand.

Mikan gave him another giggle. Though he was already at his early 40's, he still looked as if he was just ranging in his late twenties or early thirties. His hair was always messy, matching his muffled white polo with his usual black slacks. He was also fond of wearing a pair of huge gold bracelets which, as he told Mikan, came from his great-great-great grandfather's great-great-great-great grandmother which she stole from a bandit back then. How she did it, Mikan never knew. He dusted the invisible dirt from his plain white polo and gestured Mikan to carry on.

"Yeah, I guess so," She told him and headed at the cashier's back. "By the way, you need to turn the red switch on to its moderate speed so that the vacuum won't overtake your directions." she added, as Mr. Nodacchi wrote everything down on a small brown notepad.

"Then I'll switch it off. Okay, I got all of that, Mikan-san!" he told her obediently. He looked like a pre-schooler who just managed to finally memorize the alphabet. Mikan took her name tag from her bag pack; the next expression from her employer was the saddest one ever. His eyes fell down on the floor and a sorrowful smile was etched upon his thin lips. "It's just so sad that this might be the last."

Startled, Mikan went out of the cashier table. "I-I beg your pardon?"

"Mikan-san, I'm terribly sorry for not informing you about the changes." He started. "But you know that I've desired to settle for quite a long time now. Well, not that I'm not satisfied with my current situation," he added as he saw her eyebrows furrow. "It's just that, there's this huge offer around this place and you know that I couldn't let that sort of offer pass by." He explained, and he obviously obtained a pained voice. He looked up once more and saw Mikan smiling.

He felt his heart lighten up a bit. Ah, the miracles of such smiles.

"It's okay Uncle Nodacchi. You've always told me that you'd like to settle in Europe, so there's really no need to apologize." Her citrine orbs twinkled as she said these sincere words.

"Thank you, Mikan-san. I was kind of nervous to tell you this because I knew you might be very upset since, well, this was your mother's shop after all."

Well yes, truth to be told, she was upset. But she couldn't let other people to see that, otherwise, they might feel the same emotions. Never did she like the idea of seeing people sad.

"It's alright. This old place deserves a rest after all. What matters now is that you should enjoy your stay in Europe. And hey, it's never too late to find your sweetheart there." The brunette teased.

"I doubt that." He suppressed a healthy chuckle. "But if I'm as good-looking as the person who bought this rack, then it'd be effortless!" He joked and sat down, which made Mikan stop laughing.

"Oh, who's the buyer anyway Mr. Nodacchi? Please don't tell me it's Mr. Asahi from downtown, because if it is, we'd better start causing a fire at the moment!" she joked at him, pretending to be thoroughly alarmed. Another chuckle escaped the man's mouth.

"That man couldn't even afford to by himself a descent set of undergarments!" Mikan's eye winced, imagining various silly and disgusting things he might have been wearing all those times he marched in front of their shop and declared that the property will be his after a day or two. "No, no, no my dear. Have you heard of the news regarding that yacht that sank two weeks ago in Kansai shore?"

Mikan's heart sank.

"I heard he lost a huge amount— not that I could still remember— but whoever did that should be imprisoned." He informed her lightly, not knowing that Mikan's thundering emotions was taking over. She stared at Mr. Nodacchi in dismay as he continued to talk. "I mean, this man is a very kind one! He even volunteered to sell all of the antiques and such. Imagine that! I could even give you some share, Mikan-san. I'm glad that a person like Mr. Natsume Hyuuga bought this place. I'm sure that your mother, wherever she is, would be delighted, am I right?" he looked at her with his small eyes and expected her to nod enthusiastically, but she never did.

She badly wanted to run away from the scene. _Whoever did that should be imprisoned._ Those words kept on echoing at the back of her head. She wanted to defend her brother, but she was wise enough to restrain herself from doing so. It also annoyed her to know the fact that her accusations earlier were true: He was behind the speeding arrivals of her bills, and now, he wanted her to lose her job. How desperate. But unknown to her, Mr. Nodacchi stared at her with a worried expression. She was pale, very pale.

"Sakura-san, are you alright?" he finally asked. He saw her snap her head and look at him as her citrine orbs held a strong emotion which he couldn't explain.

"I.. N— uhm, Unlce Nodacchi, can I ask a small favor? Can I, may I take the day off? I suddenly felt ill."

"Oh. Why didn't you say so Mikan-san? Would you like me to take you home? My car's fixed, you see. And you might—"

"No, it's alright. I can take a cab, thank you. I need to get going. Thanks Uncle Nodacchi!" she waved her goodbye and immediately packed her things back inside her bag. Her employer hadn't even had the chance to wave his hand when he felt the cold wind enter his shop because of the open door— and she was gone.

* * *

"Please wait a moment ma'am. You may take a seat, this won't take long." The hotel's clerk told her in a respected manner.

"Thank you, but I'd prefer to wait here." She told her nicely. She saw her dialing a number and she chose to turn around.

There is no doubt; Hyuuga Manor hotels are the most exquisite ones yet. The chandeliers and the glass figures were shimmering brilliantly, crystals of various sorts hanging from the high ceilings from almost every direction or the room. Even the room's color and its tiles matched perfectly. Mikan inwardly sighed; this place was once her father's working place. A dozen of memories flashed before her mind and she couldn't help but let out a sorrowful smile. Though finally realizing her purpose, she turned around her head but was almost knocked out to what she just saw; _him._

"Well, I didn't expect you until tomorrow." He slaughtered with his words and saw that glint of anger within her citrine beauties. He gave her a smirk and turned around.

She still kept quiet, making him to turn his head and have a better look.

"Follow me."

She was just too angry to neither object nor complain at his command. Straightening her spine and brushing the invisible dirt from her coat, not to mention her chin rose a few centimeters up, she looked poised and dignified. Well, if you'll scratch her casual clothes that are to be compared to the man's attire in front of her. He walked straight ahead, and every step he made, a few passing employees bowed down before him or greeted him with wholesome good mornings. It felt kind of awkward on Mikan's opinion, and didn't expect him to greet them back. But he did. He made it a point to wave his hand as a sign of recognition.

They reached the elevator, and another staff was waiting in line stepped aside for them to enter. How respectful, Mikan thought. Both entered the empty compartment and felt the pressure rising to their ear lobes. None of them made any sound at all. Not until they finally reached floor where his office was located. They made quick strides, and only met a few people passing by, mostly men, and at long last reached a big black door. Taking a sudden amount of breath, Mikan entered.

His office was surprisingly simple. The room held black leather furniture that encircled a small black rimmed glass table. There were a few hangings on the wall, paintings in fact, which caught the brunette's attention. Most of them were abstracts. Various awards were presented on several shelves and more. There was a huge glass window at the back of the big glass table which had a few piles of documents and two Vaio laptops, both coated in black furnished Lacoste. He offered her a seat that was located in front of his table, perfect for discussions. She gladly took it, and he spoke rather rapidly.

"I'm glad you dropped by to give me a visit, Ms. Sakura." Obviously, he was teasing her. Too bad she wasn't in the mood to play around with him, though. Her hard stare against his figure made him smirk. "Staring at me like that won't make me feel guilty."

"So it was you." Mikan gritted her teeth and tried to restrain herself from shouting at him in a full blast manner. "Are you really that desperate?"

"I doubt I have to answer that right now, seeing that it's you who obviously needs my help." He informed her casually. Unknown to him, Mikan clenched her fist even harder and had the biggest urge to lift that punch towards his face. "I assume it's a yes?"

"I didn't say anything."

"But it's what I'm feeling right now. Not even the biggest idiot would refuse this. But seeing that you're the one who I am talking to, I might have second thoughts. Besides," he dialed his phone which alarmed the girl in front, "just say no and your brother's free to go and live behind the bars."

"You're sick!" Mikan shouted. This couldn't get any worse! She had her raging emotions beyond control, yet he didn't even give a hint that this sort of action is alarming. She regained her seat and crossly looked away.

"So I've heard from you in the past."

"I didn't come here to have a little chat and a tea party with you Mr. Hyuuga. I want to hear the deal." Mikan told him firmly.

"Hn." He spun his chair around and faced the view from the window, and did not mind Mikan's appearance at all. "I need a few assistance, and you could come in handy."

"What's in for me then?" the brunette's lips uttered. Her eyes couldn't see it, but she felt, or rather _knew,_ that this man before her was smirking. Mockery was, after all, his forte. He didn't say anything for a mere minute.

"The same thing as I have told you before." He informed her in a business like manner which sent several waves on the girl's mind. She kept silent and still, not daring to oppose whatever he has to say. "The debt will be cleared within a span of three months if you'll take my offer. But I might deduct the percentage that I will be decreasing on your brother's debt if you do anything that is unnecessary or if you do anything that's not suitable in my opinion. Do you get it?" He spun his chair around and finally faced her. He met her furious looks as she gave a stiff nod in return. He expected more; a question or two perhaps. He raised an eyebrow, and then his awaited reaction came.

"But… it's still not enough for my liking." She protested. He etched another hateful smirk. "My brother's—"

"I know. We will discuss further arrangements on that. The important thing right now Ms. Sakura, is for you to be able to pay your debts, am I right?"

"You thought wrong Mr. Hyuuga. I don't care about the debt," he positioned his arms on top of the table and rested his head at the back of his palms. He looked seemingly amused when she said this, and Mikan was taken aback. "W-well, I do. A bit. Or, yes I do care about the stupid debt but what matters most to me is my…my brother's name being cleared against your charges."

He slumped back to his chair and gave her a dull "Hn."

"I'll take that as a yes, seeing that you're a very selective man when it comes to communicating with fellow human beings. Now, mind telling me what the deal is about? You're not the only one with a busy schedule." the brunette asked carefully. She felt proud of herself, she had just managed to control her voice from quivering.

"Well, I know you've heard several unwanted rumors about me, especially regarding my personal life. These rubbish is affecting a great deal to the company." He stopped there and saw that she was listening all ears. "I don't like the effects, yet I can manage on my own so one of your jobs—"

"Wait. What do you mean 'one of your jobs'? You mean to say that I have loads to do just to pay the debt? I'm going to be your personal nanny? What the—" He rose an eyebrow and sighed impatiently. She got the message. "Oh, right. Sorry."

"As I was saying before you rudely interrupted," he stood up and etched towards the window. "All you have to do is to put up a smokescreen relationship to end such rumors. You have to put on a show, as I speak—"

"No." Mikan told him in a firm manner. How dare he expect her to do such a thing! "I will not take part on your playboy appearance. And even though you thought you can make me spin to your foolish games, think again. I am not most women, if that's what you're going to say Mr. Hyuuga."

"You're rather fond of interrupting people, are you Ms. Sakura?" The girl was clearly annoyed, and so was he. "Fine. This was the easiest thing I could offer. But since your taste seems to be lingering somewhere else, then I beg to differ. Forget what I told you a moment ago, because now, if you'll refuse the second time around, my patience would no longer find its right length. You are to be my personal maid in my quarters, meaning my abode. You shall report six times a week and make sure that not even the smallest amount of dust will rest itself from my furniture. Understand?"

"What the heck! You _are_ turning me into your personal nanny!" Mikan screeched, standing up as well.

"You fit the description."

"Son of a—"

He smirked. And she stared back, her eyes blinking countless of times and frowned.

"That wasn't the deal, was it?"

"So you do have a brain."

"So what is it?" Mikan asked with gritted teeth.

"Don't you dare interrupt me." He lazily placed his left hand inside his slack's pockets and turned his back on her. The young woman thought he was looking down on the city, when in truth he was observing her through the window's reflection. "As you've probably heard, there are several people from this industry who couldn't keep their paws to themselves. In terms of profit and such, I can outrun their advances. But due to some, let's say, unwanted attention there have been several comments which had affected my reputation negatively."

"Serves you right." The brunette mumbled which Natsume ignored.

"One of these companies has a son who, in three weeks time, will celebrate his birthday alongside the fact that he will be inheriting our hotel chain's rival company. Now you," he turned around and met her gaze head on, "will be the one who'll stir the cauldron a bit."

"M-me?" she asked in a startled voice.

"You." When Mikan was about to ask him a question, he held his hand up to silence her. "How? You need to be the perfect woman by then, and during his public appearance, you will need to create a scene. A scandal. A small stain that will start ruining his stainless reputation and reveal the hypocrite being that he truly is. And any wrong moves or hesitations from your part will reflect greatly on your end."

"B-but I.. I really can't. You see, I'm not a l-liar and that idea is just—"

"Lying is different from acting. You were a little thespian back in high school, were you not?" he cut her off.

Mikan stood there dumbfounded. How did he know? But instead of voicing out this question, she simply nodded in return.

"What did you mean by being the perfect woman? And how am I supposed to deal with that situation? I mean, seriously. What scandal am I supposed to help with? That wouldn't ruin that man, right? Because those things could be the cause of one's suicide and I wouldn't want to be the cause of anyone's death! And quit being vague I hate it when people do that! What am I supposed to do, give me the details you dolt because—"

In a few quick strides, he was standing in front of her, hands on his pockets. Mikan was so taken aback that she uncertainly stepped backward while the bachelor followed suit. She kept evading his moves when finally, she felt the tarnished door brushing against her back and knew the she was trapped. His stoic ruby orbs leveled themselves in front of her alarmed citrine pair as his lips hovered a mere inch above her soft lips. She closed her eyes, waiting for him to crush his on hers when finally, he blew on her right ear which made her shiver. Her senses were never this alert when she could almost feel every inch of his body warmth, especially his breath against her skin.

"You talk too much, you hag."

Now that woke her up.

"W-w-w-what the h-hell!" The former vigor from her eyes returned, filled with anger and other emotions she couldn't fathom as she tried pushing him back. Natsume, however, was too strong to be pushed back by such a fragile looking woman. He smirked and suddenly opened the door she was leaning on to. She stumbled her way out of his office when he spoke.

"I needed you to step out of my office. I'm expecting someone, and it wouldn't be a compromising situation if you were seen inside my office. I'll send someone tomorrow night to pick you up. Be ready." He then slammed the door shut.

Blinking several times, the brunette finally snapped out of it and stomped her foot loudly while she pulled her ponytails.

"What was I expecting?! Oh you.. You asked for it, Hyuuga. You want service, then I'll give you one." She mumbled roughly. She turned her heels towards the elevator when she suddenly saw a woman walking towards her direction.

She had astounding wavy strawberry-blonde hair which was neatly cut in a magnificent layer just above her shoulders. Her sunglasses was situated on top of her strands, shimmering. In fact, it wasn't the only accessory that was shinning. Her furry pink scarf was doing its job poorly as in tried (to no avail) to cover her cleavage which was revealing itself due to the _extremely short_tube, black fitted dress. She had a gold and pink handbag at her left hand, and a luxurious looking phone on the other. Her shimmery black five inch heels looked deadly. And her makeup was too thick, on Mikan's opinion. And from the looks of it, she spelled trouble. The brunette did her best to avoid having contact with her, but why does such people have to approach her anyway?

"Excuse me, but is he done with you?" She asked in a manner that sounded as if she was degrading every fiber of Mikan's existence.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion when it occurred to her that she was most likely talking about that pompous jerk Hyuuga. Looking at her closely, Mikan recognized her from a bunch of magazines from the past. This was Luna Koizumi, one of the world class models and the daughter of the owner of the famous French boutique named Fleurs Délicates. Still, Mikan didn't like her. But from the looks of it, she could lay around for even just a second.

"Yes, he is. But I do hope so that I haven't worn him out too much for you. Well, you know Nat-su-me-kun when he gets all fired up. He just couldn't stop." Mikan batted her eyelashes in an exaggerated manner and even bit her pinky to add more to the flirtatious effects. The effects of her actions came in faster than she'd expected.

"What?! Don't tell me he," she examined Mikan from head to toe three times and made a disgusted expression, "he did it to you too?! Ugh, that bastard!" she hurriedly went to his office and left Mikan smirking by herself. The next thing she knew it, she heard a loud thud and a scandalized screaming baboon inside her enemy's office.

That was just her appetizer to her brand new _employer_.

* * *

**Whimsical Panda's notes: **The roller coaster ride has now begun! And something fluffy is on its way, so stay tuned! :D Ja!


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer: **Higuchi Tachibana is the genius who came up with Gakuen Alice, not me.

_Don't think this is innocent._

_I sink my teeth right into it._

_My eyes and my mouth agree- you'll be coming home with me._

- Animal by The Cab

* * *

**Chapter Four: Physical**

"Ne, Uncle Nodacchi, where do I place this lamp?" Mikan Sakura inquired, struggling to face the shop's owner while carrying a huge hanging brass lamp.

After agreeing to the deal that was offered to Mr. Nodacchi a few days ago, the antique shop owner decided that he'd want to help out with the necessary arrangements of his shop's valuables. Last night, as he was about to close his shop, he saw a fuming brunette walking down the lamp-lit streets. He was surprised at first because she had informed him on their previous account that she wasn't feeling well but there she was, stomping her way home on the other side of the road. She clearly hadn't noticed that a pair of chinky eyes was trailing her, so he took the liberty of calling her out which made her stop walking and averted her gaze to his direction while he made his way across the street. The young lady apologized profusely for suddenly bailing out on her employer earlier that day and was relieved that he didn't demand an explanation as to why she was outside when she reasoned out that she wasn't feeling well. Instead, he just asked whether she was alright and wanted to know if she would like to help out with the shop the following day. Being the kind woman that she truly is, Mikan agreed to help out because after all, this still was her job. Her previous anger momentarily forgotten, her eyes softened as he wished he goodnight and both went on to their separate ways.

When the sun rose, he made his way to his usual routine and decided to go to the shop early only to discover that for the first time in months, Mikan came in earlier than he did. She even made time to make him a bentou for breakfast, knowing that he often skipped this meal. After eating and chatting with the brunette, they instantly went off to work. Several boxes were pieced together and they started sorting things out carefully, making sure that the fragile items were to be wrapped properly before putting them inside the boxes. They only moved the small antiques around for the big ones were to be taken care of by the truck loaders that were coming in an hour.

"Oh, ah, let me carry that Mikan-san! This is too heavy for a young lady to carry." Mr. Nodacchi commented, hurrying towards Mikan's direction.

"Mou," Mikan sighed as he took the item from her hands, "that's such a sexist's opinion. I can perfectly manage on my own. I have a strong pair of biceps, did you know that Uncle?" She winked and made a show of flexing her petite arm.

Chuckling, Mr. Nodacchi placed the lamp inside another box. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But I could use those muscles of yours if you would please place those miniature brass lamps inside the box with the label Egyptian antiques."

"Alright!" She chirped back.

Both continued doing this all throughout the morning. From urns, to vases, to lamps, and some accessories, everything else were stocked properly as well. When the truck finally came, eight other men joined their team and moved the bigger items. Mikan made a checklist and carefully crossed out the items that were loaded inside the six-wheeler truck. Finally, the grandfather clock that hasn't been packed yet signaled the laborers that it was time for lunch, much to Mikan's delight.

"Looks like everyone has their own lunchboxes but us, Mikan-san." Mr. Nodacchi noted as the other loaders were busy feeding on their bentous. She brunette lit up at this and ran to the shop's counter and went back with a large set of meal.

"Actually, I made us some lunch as well!" she happily informed him as she made her way at the back of the shop. She scooped out another set of containers filled with food and placed them carefully on top of a coffee table. "Tadah!"

"Ah, ano…" Mr. Nodacchi looked up with a worried expression, "b-but— "

"No buts! I'm going out to buy us some drinks Unlce, I forgot the thermos at home. Wait for me 'kay?" But before the grown man could even give his reply, Mikan already dashed out of the shop with a small smile playing on her lips.

* * *

A sleek white Porsche 911 Turbo swiftly parked itself in front of the cold park. Several heads, males mostly, turned their heads as the car approached and couldn't help but admire the interior and how eye-catching the vehicle was. Some even whistled as they silently admired, yet at the same time envied, whoever was driving the automobile. But the stares from the male population paled in comparison to the awed stares given by women who were passing by. Some even stopped as the driver stepped out, revealing soft golden tresses and a pair of magnificent aquamarine eyes. His features almost looked feminine except for his well sculpted jaw and his toned body sporting a pair of ochre jeans, a white polo with a black tie topped with a royal blue cardigan which accented his orbs, and a pair of dark brown loafers. A teenager walking her dog openly stared at the man in front of her with her jaw hanging which the young man returned with a smile, causing her to blush madly and tried pulling her chowchow away who in return wanted to get as close as possible to the automobile owner.

He greeted each stare (even glares from the men whose partners gushed about how good looking the stranger was) with a very friendly smile. He took his phone out from his pocket and proceeded walking the sidewalk, clearly looking for something. When he took another glance at the small screen, the young man failed to notice that a running woman was making her way towards his direction. It was too late when two bodies collided and several clinking sounds echoed as about five cans rolled away. Luckily neither one of them landed on their bottom. Two confused pairs of eyes blinked at each stranger's direction when it finally dawned to the young man what he needed to do.

"Ah! I'm really sorry, I wasn't looking! I really didn't mean to, I'm so sorry _mademoiselle."_ His hands raised slightly as if surrendering then bowed deeply. The young woman in front of him giggled and shook her head in return.

"No, it's alright. It was partly my fault as well." Mikan replied to the fop in front of her, which in her opinion, looked highly adorable. She looked down and saw the cans of Attaka Lemon Cs rolling all over the sidewalk.

Both of them crouched down and started reaching for the nearest cans. As they did so, Mikan saw another can rolling away from the sidewalk. She stood up and chased after the furling can on the street and successfully grabbed its warm can when the lass failed to notice a cab racing towards her direction. She was too stunned to scream when she felt a pair of hands pulling her to safety. Relief flooded her orbs and turned to look who her savior was and discovered that it was the same person who she bumped into earlier. He was still holding her shoulders while she craned her neck to face him. Worry and alarm was clearly seen on his aquamarine pools.

"Are you alright?" he asked frantically as Mikan properly faced him.

"If you were a few seconds short then I wouldn't be." The young woman placed her hands and the cans she was holding on to her chest and let out a sigh of relief. "You do realize you deserve a monument for saving my life, right?"

"E-excuse me?" He replied, confused. Mikan beamed back.

"I sure am glad it was you who I bumped into today sir. Otherwise I wouldn't be here breathing. Though that wasn't the first time something like that happened. I have always attracted accidents, you see. And oh my god there was even a time whe—" she stopped as she saw him chuckling slightly "Oh, you think it's so funny now do you?" She asked, pretending to be offended.

"Ah, no no! I'm sorry. Seeing that you're reminiscing like that, it seems that you're alright after all. That was a close call, mind you." He smiled adorably back. Mikan had the sudden urge to hug the man before her. He looked so cute!

"Yeah, I know. That's why I owe you my life."

"Please, don't exaggerate. It was a pleasure saving a beautiful woman such as yourself." He replied.

"You know what? If someone else told me that, I would've been under the impression that they were hitting on me." The survivor giggled. "But I'm under the impression that that's not what you were doing. And as a token of my thanks for saving my life, for complimenting me, and for showing me an adorable smile earlier, I present to you a prized can of warm lemonade!"

The female protagonist made a show of bowing down and presenting him the can of juice. When she looked up, he chuckled once again and shook his head in amusement. He took the "prized" metal cylinder from her small hand and gave her the two others he had helped pick up earlier.

"If some random woman told me that, I would have thought the same thing." He was smiling warmly now, as warm as the beverage he was holding on to. "Would you like me to help you with those?"

"Maybe I am!" She joked back. They were both laughing now and it was the brunette's turn to shake her head. "No, thank you. It's fine, my place is just around the corner. And I would really love to express my gratitude some more but I need to carry on. My uncle's waiting for these drinks, you see."

"Please do be careful on your way back, _mademoiselle_."

"Likewise_, monsieur_." The lass giggled. "Kind of sounded odd, coming out from my mouth. Anyway, thank you again and continue saving lives okay!" She waved goodbye, which in turn the golden boy waved back to, and ran off. But once she spotted the huge truck in front of the shop, the young woman slowed down and realized that she had to at least ask for her savior's name.

"_The odds of meeting him again is pretty slim anyway. I'll just continue thanking him from the sky." _She thought, unaware of the fact that as soon as she rounded the corner and disappeared from the foreign looking lad's vision, someone had called him.

"_Are you there yet?"_ A deep voice from the other line asked.

"Not yet. But I bet I'm pretty near now since, well, I kind of met her in advance." He informed him with a smile on his lips. "She's a pretty attractive woman, and it's not just her looks but her cheery personality as well. Who would've thought the day would come wherein you'd actually pay attention to a decent woman."

"_Shut up." _He snapped. But instead of frowning, the clear blue eyes crinkled in amusement from this retort. "_If you're so infatuated by that woman, then be my guest. She lacks the wit, I tell you, and the manners of a proper lady. It's disgusting and she makes any individual's ears bleed."_

"But you're clearly smitten by her." There was an unmistakable growl from the other end. "Alright alright. Good thing I saved her, otherwise you would've lost the apple of your eye." Another growl.

"_How vile. Just hurry up." _Click.

He hung up on him. Again. He sighed and smiled despite this, though.

"Typical Natsume." And walked off.

* * *

"Aaaah! That definitely hit the spot!" Nodacchi contently sighed as he patted his lips with a napkin. Both had just finished eating the bentous that Mikan made for them and the fact that the woman was a brilliant cook was an understatement. "Arigatou, Mikan-san. You really do know how to spoil this old man."

Mikan giggled. "You're not old, Uncle Nodacchi!"

"But I will be, soon. How am I supposed to attract women if I end up losing my hair?" Another melodious giggle was heard.

"I'm sure that women are bound to line up soon, Uncle. You're even more handsome than the foreign man I met earlier."

"Foreign man? Was that the reason why it took you so long to buy our drinks then? Because you met up with a man in secret?" If he could squint his eyes any further, he would have done so.

"No! I was just running so fast that we ended up crashing to one another." Began her explanation. "Then the cans rolled all over the place and he ended up helping me out. In fact, he saved me from another near-to-death scenario! But this time, it was a cab speeding its way. Luckily, he was there to pull me back to safety and I felt really silly. Imagine, if he wasn't there, a ridiculous headline would've appeared saying 'a highly attractive woman got hit by a taxi due to saving a can of lemon juice'! I think I deserve better than that, thank you very much!"

True enough, these sort of accidents weren't all too unusual to the young woman. Despite this, a huge goofy smile never left her angelic little face. But even though it wasn't uncommon, she never fails to amaze him how she could take these incidents lightly, let alone make jokes out of it. Before he could inquire whether she was alright or not, her lips opened again as she placed her finger on her chin, leaving the impression that she was deep in thought.

"But I don't think he was Japanese though. You see, I saw a few ladies sneaking him looks as they passed by and one even mouthed that he was absolutely stunning but I think he's more of the adorable kind. He reminds me of a bunny, actually." Her eyes twinkled at this. "He was really cute! And I bet he's a pretty kind man as well."

"He doesn't have big teeth, does he?" Nodacchi asked, amused with her description.

"No, no! On the contrary, he had very white and even ones. I think he's French, the golden hair kind of gave that away as well as the fact that he kept on calling me 'mademoiselle' . Oh when he said that, it sounded really charming coming from his lips! And he had clear blue ocean eyes, a few feet taller than me, and his skin was definitely fairer! He's really pretty, too pretty for my taste. Sadly though I wasn't able to ask for his name—"

"Do you mean, like this man behind you?" He was looking past Mikan with a curious expression on his face. The lass's eyebrows furrowed and whirled around. True enough, there stood the man who had saved her from the disaster earlier.

"I do hope that you're not saying those things to hit on me?" He smiled shyly, which made Mikan blush because he had clearly heard her earlier. He lifted his hand to shake her hand. "My name is Ruka Nogi. Natsume sent me to fetch you."

* * *

Mikan couldn't believe what was happening. Earlier that day, when she first met the man driving the car she was in, she would have laughed at anyone who would have told her that this man was associated in any way possible to the pompous jerk that she considers as Satan's right hand man. They had left shortly after telling excuses and lies to Mr. Nodacchi. When he asked where Ruka was taking the young woman, he told him in the kindest manner that they were to meet up with a very good friend of Mikan's and that she had clearly forgotten about it so that was why he came to the shop and picked her up. The lass, in return, couldn't even utter a single word for she didn't want to make her dear Uncle Nodacchi worry. Ruka tried to talk to her on their way to his car but when he saw that she wasn't really into the conversation, he chose to just keep quiet.

"_A very good friend my ass."_ She thought dejectedly.

"Excuse me?" Ruka peered to his right, making sure that he still had his attention on his wheels.

"Did I say that out loud?" Mikan looked at him, panic written on her face.

"Say what out loud? You didn't say anything, but you did growl when I apologized."

She was taken aback. Her thoughts were clearly busy and failed to hear him talking, let alone his apology.

"Ah, no. I'm sorry, I wasn't growling at you. It's just… Well, forget it. It's not important. So you were saying?"

He chuckled. "That's a relief. I do hope that you aren't mad at me. I didn't mean to deceive you earlier, it's just that I recognized you a minute too late so I wasn't able to properly introduce myself. And if I did say or do anything which you didn't like, then I apologize for that as well. I know we just met but I feel quite uneasy that you've been giving me the silent treatment because I have a feeling that you're not usually like this, unless you hate the person." He took another glance at his passenger and felt a smile tugging his lips as he heard her giggle.

"It's not that I hate you or anything. I guess I was just surprised, that's all." They entered a building's parking lot and just like the previous hour, he had swiftly parked his Porsche and the engine died. "So fret not! Besides, you don't really strike me as someone who'd make allies with that sorry excuse of a man Hyuuga, so I guess we're good. So tell me, did he blackmail you into this?" she asked, the twinkle in her eyes back.

He just smiled and got out of the car, hurrying to Mikan's side and opened the door for her and offered her his hand like the perfect gentleman should do. She accepted it and smiled at him. "So? Should I kick his ass for you as well?"

Ruka simply chuckled. "Come on, my office is on the fifteenth floor."

They made their way up, and Mikan couldn't help but feel amazed that every time the elevator opened, those who were supposed to join them greeted him warmly which he reciprocated. They didn't get on though, despite Ruka's insistence. Her pools peered curiously at the young man beside her and couldn't help but wonder who exactly he was. However, when they reached the designated floor, she couldn't help herself anymore. The floor looked lavish, the same lavishness she had witnessed when she entered Hyuuga's office two weeks prior. Except this one had a few frames of famous ads and products of various companies along the hallway. And the place, as the female noticed, had a more inviting feel in it. Her eyes landed back to Ruka who was now holding a door open for her. She got in, and once again, his office looked quite identical to Natume Hyuuga's. Only this time, more colorful furniture and bookshelves filled with advertising awards greeted her. There was even a huge picture frame hanging on the wall with what she had assumed were his parents.

"Please do have a seat. Would you like something to drink? This is going to be a pretty long afternoon." He informed her as he took his and Mikan's coats to his coat-stand.

"Thank you. Anything is fine." He walked over to his desk and asked his secretary to bring some coffee. "Nogi-san, can you please tell me the reason why I was brought here?"

"Well, I was under the impression that Natsume would have already explained it to you." He looked startled, but when she shook her head, she gave her a slight bewildered look. "Unbelievable, that guy." He mumbled. "How about the role you would play into the plan?"

"He has. In a very insulting manner, in fact. So I think I get the picture." She replied.

"I'm really sorry about the way he acts. He's not usually like that, he can be quite out of hand with his attitude but he'll eventually warm up." This made Mikan snort. "The thing is, you will need to at least familiarize yourself with the people you will eventually meet. We need you to be prepared when strange questions come up and to make sure that you'll know how to deal with these people. But don't worry; it's not a lot really. And it's not like you'll have to memorize each and every one who will attend the party."

" Y-you mean to say that I'll actually have to talk to these people? I thought I was only blackm— I mean, obligated to concern myself with one person?"

"You are. But questions will be raised, and we don't want things to get messy. It's better to be prepared."

"And you're actually a part of this, Nogi-san?" Her lips turned into a frown as she stared intently into the person in front of her.

"Trust me Sakura-san, I didn't want to be a part of this in any way possible at first. But the man we are dealing with is a very, very wicked one. He's done a lot of things in the past, and this has affected a lot of people. I want him to stop, and so does Natsume. Please do understand." It sounded as if he was pleading her to understand and he looked so helpless that Mikan couldn't help but lower her guard down and allow her gaze to soften. She had a feeling that he wouldn't tell her anything further, so she'll just wait until he, or that devil, does. Besides, since he asked nicely, how heartless could she be and tell him off that she wouldn't do it?

"Okay fine, where do we start?"

After that question of hers came out of her mouth, she instantly regretted it. Ruka thanked her profusely, making her wonder whether he knew under what circumstances led her here. He took out a tall pile of documents about the people she has to at least memorize until the deadline, and boy was it a lot. If he had thought that it wasn't much, it clearly wasn't the case with our heroine. What made her feel dizzier was when she realized that most of them were executives from various companies; from secretaries to CEOs, the wives of the businessmen, high end profiles, and even some endorsers she was vaguely familiar with. Despite this intense session, she had found out that Ruka could be quite the pleasing companion to be with. He was very easy to talk to and for the first time in weeks, she had felt safe. He also didn't mind her questions and explained to her things patiently, be it about the records or some random ones. She had even asked whether he thought that a woman would still or would no longer look attractive if they grew mustaches. They had a few laughs themselves and both felt like they've been very good friends for such a long time. Then finally, Ruka stood up and took the folder from Mikan's hand.

"Ah, I'm not yet done with that!" Mikan protested.

"It's already almost nine in the evening. And I told you we'd only extend for an hour after the takeout, Sakura-san." He smiled. Mikan glanced at the clock and sure enough it was indeed getting late. They ate some Chinese food earlier for dinner which she had thoroughly enjoyed. "You must be tired. I'm going to drive you home now."

"No, it's fine Ruka-pyon! I can go home by myself, I swear." She told him as she got up and gathered her things. She failed to see his startled look with the new nickname she had just called him.

"But I insist. It's late, so I'm driving you back." He insisted.

"I'll take her." Both whirled around and saw the raven haired man leaning lightly on the door frame.

He clearly came from work because he was still wearing his business attire, only without his coat. He had a red untucked polo on with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a loose black tie, and his usual black slacks. His ruby pools looked bored and the chronic blank expression was what greeted the two. "Yo, Ruka."

"Natsume! I didn't know you'd actually drop by." Ruka's smile broadened at the sight of the man before him. He walked a few steps closer to give him a friendly pat when all of a sudden, he heard a stomp from behind him.

"The hell you will." Mikan spat, anger reeking out from her voice.

Ruka frowned at the sudden change of the sable haired woman. Just a few moments ago she looked harmless and adorable, but now the young Frenchman concluded that she was a woman whom he didn't want to mess with. He looked at Natsume with a confused gaze and silently asked what was wrong which he just replied with a quirk of a brow and a nonchalant shrug.

"Just to damage your ego, if I were to choose between getting a ride from either the two of you, you wouldn't be much of a competition against Ruka's offer. In fact, there's no competition at all." Mikan broke out, destroying the silent conversation between the two male.

" You're not much worth of a prize either." Natsume countered with an even tone. This made the lass even more furious. "I'm going to save you from the trouble of taking this girl home." He addressed Ruka.

"I told you you son of a—"

"B-but Natsu—"

Both spoke in unison.

"You need to rest, Ruka. You just came from a flight, and I know that it must've been a grim afternoon for you having only this girl as your companion." This earned a offended 'hey!' from the only female in the room.

"Are you sure? I mean, it wasn't as awful as you make it sound like." He was talking to the man leaning on the doorway but his eyes were focused on the enraged woman standing beside the couch. "And aren't the two of you friends? Did you two get in a fight?"

"Friends my ass! This filthy hypo—" She stopped midsentence when she saw the dark looks he was shooting towards her. Normally, she wouldn't have been fazed. But something about his gaze threatened her that if she continued whatever she was supposed to say, the protection she was clinging on for her dear brother's life would be at stake. "—ppotamus friend of mine and I did get into an argument. And how come you didn't tell me that you just got back from a trip? I wouldn't have asked to extend our session, Ruka! Now, now. We should probably get going and you should too! Come on Ruka!"

Even though her voice suddenly got a pitch higher than usual, Ruka failed to notice this and sighed. "Oh, so that's how it is. You two go ahead, I'll just fix some things and I'll head off as well. Besides," he looked at Natsume whom he had a feeling was still hiding something, "you two need to patch things up. I wouldn't want to get in the way."

Natsume simply shrugged and waved goodbye as he walked off down the hallway. Mikan picked her things up and mustered the cheeriest smile she could manage to make.

"Thanks for today, really. Thank god you're the one helping me out with all these bios, and not to mention you saved me earlier from that mad cab driver."

"The pleasure is all mine, Sakura-san."

* * *

The ride home was surprisingly a quiet one. Both chose not to talk to the other in hopes of aggravating the opposite. Yet, Mikan couldn't help but feel the dark hostile aura the man beside her was emitting and was silently hoping that instead of the slight nervousness that she was feeling, he would feel the hatred coming from the core of her being. It wasn't until they were nearly at her place that she finally broke the eerie silence.

"So what's the relationship between you and Ruka?" She asked. When she didn't receive a reply, not even the slightest twitch of an eyebrow, she snapped. "Why do I even bother asking? You clearly won't tell me anything, the same way you didn't tell him a single zilch. What, did you blackmail him into taking part of this little charade as well? How low could you possibly get, Hyuuga?"

"As you could see, I'm the man behind the wheels. Have you ever heard of not getting into the driver's nerves?" His grip tightened on the steering wheel but his face remained calm and unchanging.

"What will you do? Crash this thing somewhere?" Mikan shot back.

"I'm sure you'd look more decent with bandages covering your face."

"Ha! I'd like to see you try." She crossed her arms on her chest and glared at his direction.

"Don't tempt me." Finally, his lips curved into a smirk. All of a sudden, he hit his Lamborghini's accelerator fiercely and didn't let go. The engine roared in such ferocity that Mikan's gooseflesh stood up.

"W-what the heck are you doing?! You'll end up getting us both killed you piece of crap! AHHH! Stop it you moron! Hey, I told you to stop!" They were running so fast that she could barely make out the details of the lamp lit streets and the people passing by. Panic started to cloud her heart as familiar images began flashing through her mind. "N-no! I'll shut up, I'll shut up! Just stop this freaking car!"

When she couldn't take it anymore, her arms flew to his and held onto them tightly. The next words she uttered were so faint that it was a surprise the lad even heard her.

"Please.."

Upon hearing this, Natsume started to slow down. They were only a few blocks away from her flat but the young woman didn't notice it. She was still holding on to his arm as if her life depended on it, in which case it partially did. When they finally reached her place and she still hasn't let go, he spoke up.

"Hey."

She finally looked up and he expected to see tears in her eyes. But to his bewilderment, not a single tear was shed. Instead, her citrine eyes contained the darkest shade of contempt and spelled the brutality of murder. Before Natsume could even make a snide comment, she clamped her teeth hard on his arm which made him yelp in pain.

"Fuck! Are you some kind of a dog, woman?!" He snatched his arm back and resisted the urge to strangle her.

"My pleasure, asshole. You think you're the only one with the upperhand here now, do you? Well guess what. I'm only allowing this because of my brother, but if you tempt _me_, then there'll be hell to pay!" Came her outburst. She grabbed her bag and was about to go out when the door wouldn't bulge. "Open this damned door you jerk!"

"You have no rights to make demands, remember that."

"I'll demand whatever I please! You're going too far! First you blackmail me into this situation, then you step on my will to protect my brother, and then you made me lose my job! I detest nasty pricks like you! Oh boy I've been trying to hold myself back but for pete's sake why couldn't you be like Ruka for once? He's your complete opposite, the perfect gentleman! And he would never drive a woman home like some complete lunatic downtown! You have issues Hyuuga, and I suggest you get yourself a nice fancy room in a mental institution and—"

Then he did the worst possible thing. He took her wrists and pinned them beside the tinted windows and kissed her.

Hard.

She squirmed against his touch and tried so hard to fight him off of her but it seemed that her efforts were for naught. It didn't help much either when his tongue unfurled itself inside her mouth, drawing from her the sort of response she had no intention of giving. She felt as if he had taken control of her will as his tongue commanded hers to wield and allow him to conquer her cave fully. Natsume had pressed her back against his car's door as he continued to assault her senses. His teeth took her bottom lip in a grazing hold, only to release it for his tongue to salve its swollen surface in a sensuous glide. The brunette could feel an unfamiliar hot need shoot up from within her, and she knew that she had to stop this madness before she completely loses herself.

But she couldn't.

Just when it seemed that the kiss would last forever, her assaulter lifter his mouth off hers and looked straight into her half-open and delirious eyes, only inches from the swollen lips he had left behind. The car was dark so the young woman couldn't tell that even his ruby pair was so red and heavy-lidded with flaming desire as well as mirth.

"Still hate me?" He asked, not masking the fact of how amused he is at the moment. Mikan narrowed her eyes and sent her tongue out before answering.

"Oh you bet. As much as ever, and if possible, even more."

"Good. I wouldn't want you to become a lovesick fool over me just yet." He let her go and pressed something, unlocking the doors from his vehicle.

Mikan scrambled out of his car, yet before slamming the door shut, she hissed. "I don't mind you and your car falling off a cliff tonight."

"Next time maybe. I'll bring you along too." Natsume replied, only to have the door slam shut. He watched with merriment as she sprinted and banged her door close, only then did he bring his engine back to life and drove off.

* * *

**Whimsical Panda's Notes: **I've got some good news and bad news! _GOOD NEWS: _I have already started with chapters five and six and I got myself a summer job! _BAD NEWS: _Because of my summer job (and the endless list of bondates with my friends), it's going to take even more of my time so I do apologize profusely for my late updates in the future. Also, I've only got less than a month before I return to college, eep!

But this I swear, my beloved readers: **I will never abandon this story_._** I might take a while, but I'll make it up to you as much as I can. :) Like this chapter, for instance! The last scene was supposed to be written on chapter six, but since you guys deserved as much, I decided otherwise. I'm not all that good with describing intimate contact between two characters, so I apologize if you didn't like the way I wrote things. Also, thank you for those who appreciated this story, those who reviewed, and the adorable critters who PMed me! I appreciate you lovely fellas. Ja!


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